How to read a keyboard spec sheet

Layout — how many keys you keep

• Full-size (100%): everything including the number pad. Widest, pushes your mouse further right.
• 96% / 1800: number pad kept, dead space removed. The practical compromise.
• TKL (80%): drops the number pad — the most popular balance of space and function.
• 75% / 65% / 60%: progressively more compact; 65% loses the function row, 60% loses arrows. Great for desk space and mouse room, steeper adjustment.
• Alice / split: the board is angled or separated for straighter wrists — worth a look if you type all day.

Switches — the feel of every keypress

• Linear (red-type): smooth travel, no bump. Favored for gaming.
• Tactile (brown-type): a gentle bump at the actuation point. The safe default for typing.
• Clicky (blue-type): the bump plus an audible click. Satisfying, loud, roommate-hostile.
• Hall-effect / magnetic: adjustable actuation depth and "rapid trigger" for competitive gaming — a different tech, not just a feel.
• Actuation force (45g, 55g…): heavier = more deliberate, lighter = faster and easier to mistype.

Hot-swappable — switch changes without soldering

A hot-swap board lets you pull switches out and press new ones in. If you think you might tinker, it future-proofs the purchase; 3-pin sockets accept plate-mount switches, 5-pin sockets accept everything.

Keycaps — what your fingers actually touch

• PBT plastic: textured, never goes shiny. The durability pick.
• ABS plastic: smoother and brighter colors, but develops shine with use.
• Double-shot legends: molded from two plastics — can never wear off. Dye-sub is nearly as durable.

Connectivity and battery

Tri-mode means Bluetooth + 2.4GHz dongle + wired. Bluetooth is fine for typing; the 2.4GHz dongle is what you want for gaming (lower latency). Battery figures are quoted with backlight OFF — RGB at full brightness can cut runtime by 80%.